Peter Mayhew

Born May 19, 1944 in Barnes, England, Mayhew never had aspirations for acting. Parts were scarce for a man who, at 7'3", towered over all others. But while working as a hospital orderly at King's College Hospital in London, he was spotted by producer Charles H. Schneer, who cast him in the Ray Harryhausen fantasy epic, "Sinbad & The Eye of the Tiger" (1977). He later learned of a casting call for another fantasy film in the making, "Star Wars," which was shooting in London. Upon meeting the film's young writer-director, George Lucas, Mayhew got the job on the spot the moment he stood up to shake Lucas' hand. There were actually two parts requiring height for which he was eligible: the 200-ye... Continue Bio >>